


Can We Kiss Forever?

by komkommertijd



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hockey, Alternate Universe - Skating, Hockey, Ice Skating, Jos Verstappen's A+ Parenting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22666456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/komkommertijd/pseuds/komkommertijd
Summary: Although Daniel could skate choreographies with literally anyone in the world he chooses Max.OrVictoria and Max switch sports and it's the best decision ever.
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen
Comments: 8
Kudos: 64





	Can We Kiss Forever?

Max grew up on the ice, with a hockey stick in hand and a helmet on his head. He hated training, hated the heavy gear and the stick and the noise when the puck hit the ice. He hated his teammates and his trainer and most of all his father for forcing him to go there. He hated getting pushed around and yelled at, hated the mouthguard he had to wear and the long bus rides to games he couldn't bring himself to care about. He hated hockey and he hated that he couldn't get out of it, too scared of disappointing his father.

The first time Max wanted to become a figure skater was when he accompanied his sister to her training when there was finally no hockey for a week. He watched with fascination when the older children practiced jumping, how easily they moved across the ice with their heads held high and concentrated smiles, the harmony between their arms and the music. He clapped with enthusiasm when his sister managed to hold a pose for a few seconds, not caring about her wobbly knees and praising her rather than showing disappointment. 

It was almost ironic and Max almost felt like laughing when Victoria came crawling into his bed that night, exclaiming that she didn't want to continue figure skating while choking back tears. He held her just a bit closer than usual that night, his mind running in circles for hours before he could finally fall asleep himself. 

The next week he took her with him for his training, handing her over to Valtteri who took her hand with a warm smile and showed her how to handle a hockey stick and Max felt happy for his sister when she laughed with Valtteri, skating around the rink with a glint in her eyes Max never felt himself. If they switched roles no one had to know, for his father never attended his games and apparently felt too much external shame to go to Victoria's events. 

So when Max stood on the ice for the first time without a stick in his hands, without bulky gloves and without the mouthguard, he finally felt free. He wasn't used to it yet, struggling with his moves at first, a little bit shaky on the differently shaped blades and unsure about what he was supposed to do. That was until one of the older kids introduced himself to the newcomer, greeting him with a wide smile and understanding words. 

Daniel was a genius on the ice, moving as if he was born to do it and sliding across the ice with a kind of grace Max had never seen before. He accepted every challenge, rarely ever failing, always regaining balance after a jump. He seemed determined yet so relaxed around the other skaters, smiling and joking around with all of them, helping out the beginners and giving helpful advice to his peers. Max looked up to him, wanting nothing more than to feel this comfortable on the ice, to be so in line with his body, controlling every muscle and every fiber of his own being and feeling so comfortable with what he did. If it was jealousy pooling in his stomach, Max gladly ignored it. He was barely eight years old, he wasn't supposed to feel like this about another person just yet. But he was not supposed to hate his father either.

When Max turned thirteen, he asked his mom to buy him his own skates, earning a surprised and slightly confused look for his request and he held Victoria's hand in his own when he explained their secret to their mother. It shouldn't hurt, the way his mother fought back tears when she saw the fear in her children's eyes, hugging both of them so tightly that Max swore he almost suffocated, it really shouldn't and that knowledge probably stung even more.

Daniel asked him to prepare a choreography together a few weeks later when they stood at the boards of the rink and Max almost choked on his water, his eyes widening and he swore his heart beat so hard that its rhythm resounded from the walls. He only managed to nod and Daniel laughed when he saw his incredulous expression, patting the younger one's back before he moved away to do a few more exercises before their training was over.  
It was unusual for two male skaters to do a choreography together, but it was just for a Christmas show and as long as Max didn't invite his father it would be fine. There were no lifts in it, that would've been too hard for Max anyways, just synchronized jumps and simpler things the younger one was able to do. Their trainer was annoyed at first, complaining that Daniel was wasting his talent but not stopping them from pursuing their idea. 

Max was surprisingly good for his age, never skipping training and always giving it his all, putting all his effort into his practice. When they were staying at their mom's place Max would play floorball with his sister, consistently getting sidestepped by her and struggling to keep up with her pace, years of getting trained to follow the puck, or the ball in this case, gone to waste. They laughed together and Victoria cheered and clapped when her brother practiced choreographies in the garage, singing nonsense to the music and cracking him up when he tried to stay serious. Their mother watched from the sidelines, a weak smile on her face and pain behind her eyes that Max couldn't ignore.

When Christmas approached and Max grew continuously more nervous, he slowly started doubting all his life choices, from quitting ice hockey to everything else that lead him to this exact moment where he was sitting on the ice in his costume, crying after he once again failed an important jump, losing his balance when he landed and his attempt of balancing it out before the following spin unsuccessful. Tears of frustration and anger filled his eyes, mixing with the water film on the ice when they started to fall. Daniel kneeled down next to him, sliding across the area that separated them before he sat down next to the younger one. He tried to comfort Max, telling him that there was no reason for him to cry about it, that it was nothing he needed to be embarrassed about and for some reason this was enough for the floodgates to open and Max passed the way of no return, sobbing almost uncontrollably and it didn't feel fair, doing this to Daniel, leaving him to deal with a crying teenager. It didn't feel fair at all after he already interrupted his process of becoming the best figure skater their trainer had ever seen.

He sobbed loudly and for once he was glad that they stayed longer to practice when everyone else had already left, he didn't think he would've been able to hold back then. He started rambling, telling the older one about how he disappointed his parents and his sister and probably Daniel as well, told him about the switch and that his father didn't know about it, how he had to keep all of Victoria's medals in his own room to not raise any suspicion and how badly he wanted it all to end. Max only calmed down when Daniel carefully wiped the tears off his cheeks, the fabric of his costume gently scratching against tear-stained skin as he tried to tell him how proud he actually was of the process the teenager showed and how far he had come in a few years of skating. 

Daniel was always the child prodigy, the one they all wanted to see competing at the Winter Olympic Games one day, the favorite and the popular kid who made friends no matter where he went. He didn't have to deal with an anxious child, yet he sat next to one for at least an hour, one hand stroking his back in an attempt of comforting the younger. Daniel didn't have to be his friend, there were enough people his age who would probably love to replace Max, yet he was always there to make him feel at home in the team from day one. He didn't even have to look at Max and yet he was always the one Daniel looked out for. And Max owed him a perfect choreography.

In the end, Max nailed the jump and the spin and Daniel cheered and hugged him tightly afterward. Their yellow shirts didn't quite match the Christmas spirit, but Daniel insisted on performing something cheerful and upbeat, something unusual and unique just like them. It seemed hard at first, the music was something else but when Max paid attention to the lyrics he found that it was ideal. Good Days was exactly what the teenager craved, good feelings and happy music and somehow it gave him hope. When they stepped on the ice his heart started beating just a little harder and he didn't really want to let go of Daniel's hand when they reached the center, sitting down with their backs resting against each other. When the lights came on to put the focus on them and the song started playing Max forgot about his jitters, his entire concentration on the right movements, staying in sync with Daniel and making his mother proud.

He was sure he could hear his sister cheer when he landed after his last jump, spinning until the last beat, finding Daniel's hand and holding his head up high, a wide and genuine smile on his face. He found his mother in the crowd of parents and family members. When Daniel pulled on his hand to hug him tightly, quietly telling him how proud he was Max had to fight his tears once again. Tears of happiness that stayed until he hugged his sister a few minutes later, both of them laughing and crying at the same time and maybe, just maybe Max was finally free.

To say that Max had a slight crush on Daniel was maybe a little bit of an understatement. He first noticed it when he was seventeen and caught the older one's eyes across the rink. It made his stomach tingle then and he tried to ignore how forced his laugh sounded. It didn't exactly get better when they continued to work on choreographies together, always touching in some way or another and Max blamed his hormones for his stupid behavior and his face growing hot when Daniel wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling closer after he said something remotely teasing, too busy laughing to notice the red taint on Max's cheeks.

Max was twenty when Daniel called him, telling him that he would be returning to the Netherlands soon. 

After a few successful competitions someone finally noticed Daniel's talent and he left to train with a beautiful young girl, a high flyer in the sport. Max didn't feel jealous when he watched them on tv, their bright smiles and almost intimate choreographies conquering the hearts of the fans and judges until they actually stood on top of five unmistakeable colorful rings. Max swore he was close to crying when Daniel held the medal in his hand later, silver reflecting the light like his shining eyes and wide smile and Max's mother didn't dare to comment on her son's reaction, just smiling at Victoria when she knowingly rolled her eyes.

Max was slightly nervous when he put the black shirt on, playing with the sleeves while he felt his skin grow hot. He hadn't talked to Daniel in two years and when he asked the younger one to learn a choreography so they could try it together when he returned Max thought it was a bad joke and then he started questioning how he was supposed to practice that. Sure, Max wasn't too heavy for his age and height but how the hell could he find something to practice lifts with. He learned how it was to get thrown around when he was younger, but never in a way that was supposed to entertain people, well, besides his father.

Daniel just shook his head when they met and Max voiced his concern, telling him that he had to do most of the work anyway. The younger ones stomach tingled when Daniel smiled at him reassuringly before he held on to his waist to lift him up. It was surprising how easily Daniel guided him through the performance, his muscles working underneath the almost see-through fabric of his sleeves and his expression indicating that he knew exactly what he was doing.

After some training, Max felt ready to present the final result. There were no spectators, just Daniel and him and an empty ice rink. The music was almost scaringly loud and even though no one was watching, Max felt as if the whole world was looking at him now. Another calming smile, then he felt Daniel's hand reaching out for his own, a gentle touch and Max leaned back, getting ready to begin with the performance.

The song started playing, filling Max's heart with a feeling of gloom and longing, his expression turning painful as Daniel remained almost emotionless, just like they were supposed to be. They started moving, in synchrony, not facing the other and visibly drifting apart, skating as if they were floating across the ice. Max's arms moved to the music, grasping his own face, his hand clutching his heart, his arms coming to rest on his waist. He counted in his head and started skating backward when the beat drop approached, felt Daniel's hands on top of his own before he was lifted into the air, spinning once before he was caught again, now facing his partner and their faces almost dangerously close, then he pushed himself away, staying in character, their arms almost fighting with each other's before Max escaped, skating slightly in front of Daniel, counting and moving his feet in the same pattern as his partner's. He reached the next important number, pushed himself away from the ice until he spun, did it once, twice, a third time and then Daniel's hands were back on his hips, pulling him back against his own body, one arm across his chest. Max pulled it away, immediately letting go of it so that Daniel could lift him once again, holding him securely as Max laid his head back, his own arms reaching for the sky until the older male let go enough for him to drop into his arms, almost bridal style as they locked eyes for a second, spinning around more calmly, Max's hands reaching for his face to trace his jawline, lifting him back up soon after so that Max could perform a triple Salchow, spinning around his own waist and landing on the back outside edge of his right foot, balancing it out as if he's never done something else.

They continued their routine, drifting apart before pulling each other close again. Max dropped to the floor after a sit spin, grasping his head as Daniel skated over from where he was doing the same spin, his hands coming to rest underneath Max's arms so that he could pull the younger one backward until he was standing up again, his head leaning back to rest against Daniel's shoulder, the other one's hand covering his eyes, letting go until their hands found each other. He pulled Max with him around the rink, one hand coming to rest on his hip. Two spins followed, another jump until they reached the center again, Daniel skating behind and lifting Max once more, spinning slowly as the younger male held his pose, their eyes locked as the last notes died away. 

It was quiet then and Daniel was careful when he placed Max back on the ice, still looking straight into his soul without saying a word, not letting go of him either. 

Max didn't really expect it when Daniel suddenly pulled him closer, shock running through his whole body like a thunder when their lips met. Daniel's grip on his waist felt different then, much more gentle but still determined to keep the younger one safe and close. He felt the pent-up tension leave his muscles, his body melting under Daniel's touch as he wrapped his arms around his neck so he wouldn't let go too soon. Their lips moved in synchrony, just like their arms and legs earlier, in perfect harmony as if they were made to do just that and Max never wanted it to end.

"You know, there's a reason I chose "Can We Kiss Forever?" for this choreography, Maxy."

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this instead of studying because this is winter break and uh no. It took six hours but I kind of like how it turned out.  
> I only watch figure skating for fun, so please don't flame me if there are some mistakes or if the choreographies wouldn't work in real life.  
> The songs I used for this were [Good Days](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTLX-Cm1SLg) and [Can We Kiss Forever?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6_nNISzIRs), just in case you want a more vivid image of the performances.  
> As always, thank you for reading this to the end, it means a lot to me!  
> (Feedback is also always greatly appreciated)  
> PS: You can find me on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ricciardhoe.s/) as well where I sometimes post updates about my work on my story :)  
> I will see you soon with a new story :)


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